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Townhall in Muskegon to reduce gun violence

Posted at 9:35 PM, Jun 27, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-27 21:35:46-04

MUSKEGON, Mich. – Police and community members collaborated together at a town hall in Muskegon to reduce gun violence.

The meeting was held Thursday night at Mount Zion Church in Muskegon. It was the second meeting this week, following a similar town hall held Tuesday in Muskegon Heights.

People voiced their concerns and their experiences with gun violence at the meeting. Some shared traumatic situations they have suffered through as state police and local officers listened.

The town hall was a result of a $10,000 grant, funded by the Muskegon Community Foundation, to start discussions revolving around ways to reduce gun violence in the area.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child, and that’s the image we have,” said Janet Robinson, one of the organizers. “We use the slogan that says ‘not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.’ That’s what we are doing here. We’re coming together as a whole.”

Chief Jeffrey Lewis, Director of Public Safety for the City of Muskegon, says different initiatives such as the gun buy-back in the area have resulted in fewer guns on the streets in Muskegon.

“I think we are doing the right thing,” said Chief Jeffrey Lewis. “Overall, I see it going in the right direction and that’s why in the city of Muskegon, we feel like we have momentum and we’re keeping it up.”